Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Information – About Kailash tour packages
As per ancient myths and cosmologies Mount Kailash is the Axis Mundi, the center and the birth place of the entire world, Mount Meru even before the arisen of Hinduism, Jainism or Buddhism which was fabled even before the great Hindu epics, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata, were written. Undeniably Kailash Parvat is so deep-seated in the ancient Asian Mythos that it was imaginably a cherished place of another epoch, another civilization, which has somehow been forgotten.
For Hindus, Kailash is the dwelling place of Lord Shiva, a character of apparent contradictions where he spends his time practicing yogic solemnity, making joyous love with his divine consort, Parvati, and smoking ganja (the sacred herb known in the west as marijuana).
The divine master of Tantra, the esoteric science that regards sexual union as the most perfect path to spiritual enlightenment, Lord Shiva was once the lord of Yoga and ultimate renunciation of ascetic. However, Shiva’s behaviors are not construed as repugnant by Hindus. Instead they see a deity in him who has wisely integrated the inordinacy of human nature and thus transcended attachment to any particular, and limited, way of being. Hindus believe in attaining ultimate release from the clutches of vices of life by accepting the arduous pilgrimage to Kailash and have the darshan (divine view) of Shiva’s abode.
Not only to Hindus Kailash occupies equal faith and holiness in the heart of other religions too. Jains call this mountain as ‘Astapada’ which literally means Eight Steps and believe it to be the place where the first of the twenty-four Tirthankaras, Rishaba attained liberation: ‘Mokshya’. Followers of Tibetan indigenous religion, Bon, call the mountain ‘Tise’ where Sky Goddess Sipaimen seats at.
Furthermore, Bon myths opine ‘Tise’ as the sight of a legendary 12th century battle of divination between the Buddhist sage Milarepa and the Bon shaman Naro Bon-chung in which Milarepa’s defeat of the shaman uprooted Bon as the primitive religion of Tibet, thoroughly implementing Buddhism in its place. Buddhism as a religion entered Tibet, via Nepal and India, in the 7th century AD while Buddha is believed to have magically visited Kailash already in the 5th century BC. Kang Rimpoche (the Precious One of Glacial Snow) is another name of this mountain given by Tibetan Buddhists who regard it as an abode of Demchog (also known as Chakrasamvara) and his consort, Dorje Phagmo. The Bodhisatvas Manjushri, Vajrapani, and Avalokiteshvara is believed to live in the three hills near Kang Rimpoche.
After accepting the arduous journey to Kailash, the circumambulation of this sacred peak which takes at least 3 days is another equally arduous task which is known as Kora or Parikrama (clockwise for the Buddhists, counter-clockwise for Bon adherents)., Some pilgrims may vary their speed in circumambulation in hopes of gaining extra merit or spiritual powers too.
A hardy few, workout of a secret breathing technique called Lung-gom, will power themselves around the mountain in a single day. Some pilgrims also make full body prostrations throughout the way which takes two to three weeks for a single Kora.
Enlightenment is believed to be the award of the completion of 108 Koras around the mountain. Most Pilgrims to Kailash often visit the nearby, Lake Mansarovar to take a short swoop into its cold water. The name of this Lake has been derived from Sanskrit language; ‘Manas’ means ‘mind or consciousnesses and ‘Sarovar’ means ‘Lake’.
Alongside Lake Manosaravar is Rakas Tal literally meaning ‘the Lake of Demons’. To venture this sacred mountain with these two spiritualistic lakes is a life time experience and an opportunity to view the most mysterious and magical scenery on the entire world.
Hindu legend opines that the holy Manasarovar Lake was first created in the mind of the Lord Brahma (God of Creation).The holy center of the Earth; Kailash is believed to be the sacred abode of Lord Shiva and the manifestation of heaven itself by Hindus.
Tibetan Buddhists believe Kailash as the home of the Buddha ‘Demchok’ who symbolizes ultimate peace and harmony.
For Tibetan ‘Bons’, Mount Kailash is their spiritual power center.
Jainists believe Kailash is the place where the creator of their faith, Rishabhadeva, attained freedom from the cycle of life and rebirth.
